Chester County Deed Records Search
Chester County deed records go back to 1688, making this one of the oldest land record repositories in all of Pennsylvania. The Recorder of Deeds office in West Chester serves as the official custodian of all property documents for the county. You can search Chester County deed records online or visit the office in person. Records include deeds, mortgages, easements, plans, and other documents tied to real property within the county.
Chester County Quick Facts
About Chester County Deed Records
Chester County has maintained deed records since 1688, a track record that spans more than three centuries. The mission of the Recorder of Deeds office is to preserve the integrity, accuracy, and continuity of Chester County land records. This ensures that property ownership is protected and that real estate transactions can proceed with confidence. Few county offices in the country can match that length of unbroken service to the public.
The Recorder of Deeds is the official custodian of all land records and indexes relating to land transfers in Chester County. The office is required by law to archive all records related to property. Beyond deed recording, the office also records subdivision plans, highway plans, power of attorneys, and various other documents. It administers oaths and records commissions for notary publics and acts as the repository for military discharge papers under DD214 filings. Veterans can file their DD214 at no charge, and those records are kept private rather than released as public documents.
Chester County collects and distributes county and state fees as well as real estate transfer taxes. These funds are distributed to the Commonwealth and to Chester County's 73 municipalities and 14 school districts. The office is notable for being self-sufficient and generating a net profit for the Chester County General Fund, meaning it does not depend on county tax dollars to operate.
Under 21 P.S. § 351, all deeds for real property in Pennsylvania must be recorded in the county where the property is located. Chester County has followed this requirement since long before Pennsylvania statehood, and the office continues to serve as the backbone of property rights protection in the region.
Chester County Recorder of Deeds
The Chester County Recorder of Deeds office is located at 313 W. Market St., Suite 3302, in West Chester. The Recorder is Diane O'Dwyer. Office hours run from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. All documents submitted for recording must be received by 4:00 p.m. Same-day recording for large exhibits such as maps and subdivision plans closes at 3:00 p.m. The search library is available from 8:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m.
Staff at the Recorder's office can help you find records and explain procedures. However, they are not authorized to give legal advice, draft new deeds, determine if liens exist against a property, or confirm whether land has been subdivided. For those needs, consult a title company or real estate attorney familiar with Chester County property law.
| Office | Chester County Recorder of Deeds |
|---|---|
| Address | 313 W. Market St., Suite 3302, West Chester, PA 19380 |
| Phone | 610-344-6330 |
| Fax | 610-344-6408 |
| Online Search | chesco.org/departments/recorder-of-deeds |
Searching Chester County Deed Records Online
The Chester County Recorder of Deeds makes document information and images available to the public online. You can search and view deed records from your home or office using the county's online portal. The statewide portal at pa.uslandrecords.com also provides access to Chester County deed records along with records from other Pennsylvania counties.
The Chester County online deed search portal at chesco.org/1565/Online-Deed-Search is one of the more robust county-level systems in the state. The county's historical records include commissioner records from 1711 through 2008, professional registers dating back to 1683, and tavern petitions going as far back as 1700. Some of these indexes are available in PDF format and require Adobe Acrobat Reader to view.
The image below comes from the Chester County online deed search page, which provides access to land records and related documents going back to the county's founding.
The online search system allows you to look up deeds by grantor or grantee name, parcel ID, book and page number, instrument number, and date range. Recorded documents are assigned sequential book and page numbers, which are the standard reference for deed records in Chester County. The Pennsylvania Association of Recorders of Deeds (PRODA) also maintains a directory of county officials and a fee calculator at padeeds.com/fee-calculator that can help you estimate recording costs.
Note: Chester County deed records are also microfilmed as a preservation measure, and some older records are available through the State Archives in Harrisburg.Chester County Recording Requirements
Documents submitted for recording in Chester County must meet Pennsylvania's standard formatting requirements. Deeds need a notary acknowledgment, a complete legal description of the property, and an Uniform Parcel Identifier (UPI) code. The UPI connects the deed to the county's tax mapping system and is required under 16 P.S. § 9781. Without a valid UPI, the Recorder cannot record the document.
Chester County requires that all deeds transferring real property include a completed Form REV-183, the Realty Transfer Tax Statement of Value, as required by the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue. Pennsylvania's state realty transfer tax rate is 1% of the property value. Chester County municipalities and school districts impose their own local transfer tax, typically adding another 1% to the total. You can verify the exact local rate for a specific municipality through the county's tax administration office or through the municipality directly.
Power of attorney documents recorded in Chester County must comply with House Bill 1429, also known as Act 95. The act sets specific requirements for how power of attorney forms must be drafted and acknowledged before they can be recorded. If a power of attorney does not meet these requirements, the Recorder's office cannot accept it. The assessment office, located at 313 W. Market St., Suite 4202, West Chester, also administers programs such as Clean and Green enrollment, which affects how certain farmland parcels are valued for tax purposes.
Chester County Property Assessment and Tax Records
Chester County's Assessment office works alongside the Recorder of Deeds to maintain complete and accurate property records. The Tax Equalization Division sets the Common Level Ratio (CLR), which is currently 31.84% for Chester County. This ratio is used to calculate assessed values for appeal purposes. Assessment appeal deadlines run from May 1 through the first business day in August.
The assessment office at chesco.org/departments/assessment provides information on the Homestead and Farmstead Exclusion Enrollment, which runs from December 15 through the first business day in March. The Clean and Green Program accepts enrollment from March 1 through June 1 each year. These programs can reduce property tax liability for qualifying owners, and changes to program status are often recorded alongside deed records at the Recorder's office. The assessment director is Jonathan B. Schuck, and the office shares the same Market Street address as the Recorder of Deeds.
For a broader look at statewide land records history, the Pennsylvania State Archives maintains historical warrant registers and land records dating back to the William Penn era. The Archives are located at 1681 N. Sixth Street, Harrisburg, and hold records that predate even Chester County's 1688 founding. This can be useful for genealogy research and tracing the full chain of title on very old Chester County parcels.